Wow Mike, I never thought of you being like that. I guess something about being the authority figure makes people assume that the person is like a parent. Silly me!

I haven't been posting that much for myself because I think that I've discussed most of what I needed to do. I'm feeling very self-confident and aware and I've been able to get over much of the personality issues I had as a result of growing up in the SoPP. I may post when something occurs, but I've even gotten better with some of the issues that I posted about here in the past, like anger and expressing emotions. My relationship with my mother has gotten so much better and the other day we talked about some very emotional issues for about 2 hours and I felt really good when I got off the phone.

And since the St. J/V members haven't been very active lately, I haven't had that much to say.

I'm also involved in a charity knitting World Cup event so I'm busy making booties and a blanket for Afghani children. Nothing like real service, huh?!?

We've also had some beeeeeeeeautiful weather here. Almost too much, as it's been hot as hell here. But I got to go to a party on Friday at a house by a bay with a lagoon and channels and I got to go swimming and drink watermelon margaritas to celebrate the end of the school year. Whew!

Free Thinker wrote:Wow Mike, I never thought of you being like that. I guess something about being the authority figure makes people assume that the person is like a parent. Silly me!

I am a parent, of about 15 tropical fish a load of Japanese shrimps and a silly cat with a temper

The clubbing is just innocent stuff. Being with people, singing outloud songs, dancing every minute and flitting with the girls. No Brits on the piss routine (sorry chaps). And most of the evening I've a glass of cold sparkling water in my hands, swinging on ie. Blondies Denise Denise and other songs. Mainly Dutch.

Free Thinker wrote:I haven't been posting that much for myself because I think that I've discussed most of what I needed to do. I'm feeling very self-confident and aware and I've been able to get over much of the personality issues I had as a result of growing up in the SoPP. I may post when something occurs, but I've even gotten better with some of the issues that I posted about here in the past, like anger and expressing emotions. My relationship with my mother has gotten so much better and the other day we talked about some very emotional issues for about 2 hours and I felt really good when I got off the phone.

Chalk one up on the board for a good day! Seems you are doing great. How did you went on talking with your mother, as that can't have been very easy, I assume? Must be liberating indeed when you can talk freely.

Free Thinker wrote:And since the St. J/V members haven't been very active lately, I haven't had that much to say.

I'm also involved in a charity knitting World Cup event so I'm busy making booties and a blanket for Afghani children. Nothing like real service, huh?!?

I count that as a real service. Talk is cheap but actually doing something is what gets tings done. Btw, how do I have to visualize it, you knitting like a manic, red eyes of the sleep depravation and a large pot of black coffee besides you?

Free Thinker wrote:We've also had some beeeeeeeeautiful weather here. Almost too much, as it's been hot as hell here. But I got to go to a party on Friday at a house by a bay with a lagoon and channels and I got to go swimming and drink watermelon margaritas to celebrate the end of the school year. Whew!

And you thought I was going berserk here in Amsterdam but madam is having watermelon margaritas! Way to go!

You can picture me sitting on the couch watching nature films with a big ball of blue yarn beside me and a rectangle knit so far. I also knit in the car and while waiting for anything.

I have until the end of the World Cup to finish the items, so I don't have to stay up all night or anything. I just work a bit on it each day, since I'm also knitting some gifts for friends concurrently.

As for my mother, we've been working on our relationship ever since I posted about it originally. It is sometimes a few steps forward, a few steps back, but now we're mostly going forward. She sometimes gets all worked up over the fact that I don't call or write her as much as she likes, but it does take some time for such a relationship to develop after having so many problems.

At this point, I try to be honest and not to censor myself at all when I'm speaking to her. This makes me feel comfortable, and she is making the effort to discuss issues that have been hard for her in the past. That helps me to talk more freely, and so it grows.

I love to dance, too, but don't have any friends where I live currently to go with. I still go by myself sometimes but only 3-4 times per year.

Some key people (Ravesi's / mm-) have recently departed which has left a bit of a vaccuum.

World cup:

I have achieved my lifelong fitness ambition - to have the body of a Brazillian centre forward.

ADG - thought the socceroos did very well against Brazil - although there was a certain inevitability to the second goal once Guus Hiddink took off our key defender for an attacker. It worked against Japan, but Brazil knew how to exloit the extra space.

Bonsai - England will be OK - slow starters. I can see certain parallels to Brazil's start - two indifferent performances against well organised sides punching above their weight.

My other excuse for keeping quiet is being flat out at work getting ready for a holiday in Italy followed by the Semi-Finals. In the (very) unlikely event that England or Australia (or both!!!) reach the finals I may hang around for that too.

Child member of SES from around 1967 to around 1977; Strongly involved in Sunday Schools ; Five brothers and sisters went to ST V and St J in the worst years

I agree that England are not going to go that far. As soon as they meet a decent team they will lose, but that is nothing new.

As for the general board etc I think that for me the apology from David Lacey, admitting that things were wrong was such a big move that a lot of the pace has gone out of things. There was a big gap between the report and the next move and it looks like there might be another gap now.

I recognise that it is pressure that leads to results but the SES and the schools know that that pressure is there and will not go away. They will be busy leading up to the end of the year and then more may happen. I would see the fact that the World Cup is on as more coincidence than cause.

Rob Whiteman wrote:As for the general board etc I think that for me the apology from David Lacey, admitting that things were wrong was such a big move that a lot of the pace has gone out of things. There was a big gap between the report and the next move and it looks like there might be another gap now.

Rob

The last apology was from Donald Lambie as senior tutor of the SES who took over from Leon MacLaren.

David Lacey has made no public apologies as far as I am aware.

I think you are right that we are in a lull right now following Lambie's apology and also that Pincham has indicated that Governance changes are being considered.

For my two-pennies-worth..... I have so far been lucky enough to avoid the football. (Unless you count the other night when I was at my parents and dad was watching it). My silence has been due to a lack of computer, mainly thanks to a Trojan - don't you just love 'em? Come Wimbledon and Rugby season I can be as quiet as anybody, but football??????

When 'we' beat the Argentinians - cough - only a formality - cough - then I buy each one of you a drink when you're in Amsterdam.

I get some guests to watch the game and have pimped my place a bit orange. I won't go so far as to wear an orange lederhosen nor an orange painted German stormtrooper helmet (however distasteful it has become a collectors item) but otherwise I am very orange minded today